Minnesota Veteran - Medical Benefits

This is a listing of medical benefits available to veterans, their families and employers. It is from the traditional sources such as retirement homes and Veterans Affairs.

Armed Forces Retirement Home

Veterans are eligible to become AFRH residents if their active duty service in the military was at least 50 percent enlisted, warrant officer or limited duty officer and they are:

• Veterans with 20 or more years of active duty service and are at least 60 years old, or
• Veterans unable to earn a livelihood due to a service-connected disability, or
• Veterans unable to earn a livelihood due to injuries, disease, or disability, and who served in
  a war theater or received hostile fire pay, or
• Female veterans who served prior to 1948.

There are two locations for AFRH: Gulfport Campus, MS (presently closed due to Hurricane Katrina) and the Washington Campus, Washington D.C.

www.afrh.gov

Minnesota State Soldiers Assistance Program

The State Soldier's Assistance Program also provides assistance with dental and optical needs for veterans and their dependents who meet strict income and asset guidelines. It also provides cash assistance in the form of shelter payments (rent and mortgage), utilities, and personal needs grants to veterans who are unable to work as a result of temporary disability.

Dental - www.mdva.state.mn.us/Dental.htm
Optical - www.mdva.state.mn.us/Optical.htm

Contact your local County Veterans Service Officer for more information.

Minnesota Veterans Homes

There are five MN Veterans Homes located around the state: Fergus Falls, Hastings, Luverne, Minneapolis and Silver Bay. The criteria to be admitted to one of the facilities is:

• Honorably Discharged Veterans
• 181 Consecutive Days on Active Duty
• Minnesota Resident (or had service credited to Minnesota)
• Spouses of eligible Veterans over 55 years of age and Minnesota residents
• Must have demonstrated medical need

www.mvh.state.mn.us

TRICARE

TRICARE originally stood for the triple option benefit available for military families:

• TRICARE Prime - Voluntary HMO option
• TRICARE Extra - PPO option - no enrollment or annual fees - provides discount cost-sharing rates
• TRICARE Standard - Fee-for-service option (same as standard CHAMPUS) with its normal cost-share.

Other plans include:

• TRICARE For Life - retiree coverage
• TRICARE Plus - a primary care enrollment program offered at selected military treatment facilities
• TRICARE Pharmacy Program - Eligible beneficiaries may fill prescription medications at military treatment facility (MTF) pharmacies; TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP); TRICARE retail network pharmacies (TRRx); at non network pharmacies.
• TRICARE Dental - for active duty, Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) and retiree
• TRICARE Vision Benefits - primarily for active duty members and their families

www.tricare.mil

Transportation

Many counties provide transportation to and from VA Medical Centers.

Contact your local County Veterans Service Officer for more information.

US Dept of Veterans Affairs

VA provides a number of health care services:

• Hospital, outpatient medical, dental, pharmacy and prosthetic services
• Domiciliary, nursing home, and community-based residential care
• Sexual trauma counseling
• Specialized health care for women veterans
• Health and rehabilitation programs for homeless veterans
• Readjustment counseling
• Alcohol and drug dependency treatment
• Medical evaluation for disorders associated with military service in the Gulf War, or exposure to Agent Orange, radiation, and other environmental hazards

Combat Veterans - VA will provide combat veterans free medical care for any illness possibly associated with service during a period of hostility for two years from the veteran’s release from active duty.

www1.va.gov/health/

VA Medical Centers - Minnesota

Community Based Outpatient Clinics:

• Brainerd: www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=5138
• Fergus Falls: www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=5143
• Hibbing: www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=5145
• Maplewood: www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=5149
• Montevideo: www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=5349
• Rochester: www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=5156
• St. James: www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=5157

Minneapolis VA Medical Center - www1.va.gov/minneapolis/

St. Cloud VA Medical Center - www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=127